09/06/2026
Puppies 1st groom; What happens and why it's important.
Your puppies first groom, whether they have a long coat, curly coat, double coat, short coat, waves, wire or silk coat, is a such an improvement milestone in your dogs training journey.
Your pups first time at the studio should happen as soon as your puppy is vaccinated. Making sure they are protected is top priority.
•The bath
Their first visit they will receive a warm, luxurious bath, with top of the line shampoo and conditioner, that is puppy safe and gentle on their skin. The sound and sensation of the water can be a little frightening so it is important to take the time to slowly acclimate them to all these new sounds and feelings.
• The dryer
They will then be gently introduced to the blowdryer. This is an extremely important step, especially for curly and double coated dogs. If your dog is curly coated i.e., cockapoo, poodle, doodle, bichon, or anything mixed with a poodle, they will need REGULAR grooming, EVERY 6-8 weeks. 8-10 weeks IF they are receiving regular and proper home maintenance. This consists of thorough line brushing ( I will happily coach you in my studio on line brushing techniques) every day, 2-3 days minimum. If left too long and not properly maintained at home this will cause matting. Matting is not only awful for your dogs skin, it can cut off circulation, cause sores, and cause pain in your dog, it is also awful for our equipment.
Blades that will be needed to cut through these mats are €40+ euro. Sharpening them can cost from €15-€25 per blade, if you can find someone to sharpen them. Matting dulls our blades and shortens their lifespan.
• More on the dryer
The blowdry can be loud and scary, so introduction and regular exposure is crucial for your dog to have a relaxed grooming experience. The dryer is also what helps separate the curls, straighten them and make the coat easier to mange, both in the studio and at home. It also helps us get a better look at your dogs skin health, and helps us locate any lumps, bumps, scratches, or ticks on your dogs skin. Giving you a chance to find something early before it becomes a bigger issue.
After the dryer, we will introduce your pups to the instruments they will have used during the groom. Brushes, combs, clippers and nail clippers.
• Brushes
Brushes can be a strange feeling, so getting your dog used to it is important to maintain their coats, avoid matting and help with deshedding.
• Nails
Having their nails clipped often will help desensitize your pup to the process, and keeping the nails trimmed will prevent bone, pain and joint issues caused by long nails.
• Clippers
Once fully washed and dried we will introduce the clippers. The clippers make noise and can vibrate, something your dog is not used to and can cause them to react.
Your puppies first time, they will not be fully clipped. It is a huge stress on them to have been washed and dried, so to avoid pushing them too far, the clipper will be turned on and the end of it will be gentle rubbed on your pups body to help acclimate them to the sensation and sound. Preparing them for their 2nd appointment, which will be a full haircut. The clipper will be used on their paw pads and sanitary areas to keep them clean and of course acclimate them to the feeling.
• Scissors
Then we move on to some light scissor work. Tidying between the eyes, around their feet, the muzzle and the skirt. This is to acclimate them to the sounds, and feeling of the scissors, again to prepare them for their second appointment, and make it less scary.
• Handling.
Your dog will be handled with the upmost care, however, they will be handled in new ways.
Especially holding the face. The dog must be gently secured by the muzzle or chin while having their face worked on. This is to avoid rapid movement or turning in distraction, to avoid what could be a horrible accident.
Grooming scissors are chefs knife sharp and they are used in delicate areas around the eyes, ears, mouth and tongue.
Its not a way a dog would normally be held at home so it is important to acclimate them to this technique for their safety while being groomed.
•Trust
Last, but certainly not least, your dogs first visit builds a bond of trust between your dog and its groomer.
Especially if your dog will need regular grooming every few weeks, its so important that they enjoy their time with us and trust in us that we will not cause them harm or fright.
A dog who is groomed once per year can be truly terrified by the experience. They've been dropped off at a new place, with new smells, new people they don't know and new sounds that they don't understand. That is a complete sensory overload. At least once they have built a relationship with the groomer they will know that they're not in danger and that for these 2 or so hours they don't have to fret or worry.
Starting them off young and keeping them regular is what will create a calm and secure dog for all future grooms. Choosing the right groomer for your pups first time is important for so many reasons. Its sets the tone for all their future grooms. 💜
